The Treasure Map Behind the Scenes

THE SCRIPT

Fred Pachter, screenwriter and costumer for The Treasure Map, wrote from his interest in Indians and his experiences in the past. “I got in on the whole story development process late,” Fred said. “Others were tossing around ideas and I got interested in what they were doing. As I wrote, my story took on the theme of personal responsibility for your actions and why we as Christians should behave decently toward people, even if they are different.”

THE SECRET ROOM

Terry Davenport, Art Director for The Treasure Map, said that the secret room was probably his favorite of all the sets for The Treasure Map. “We made all the cobwebs ourselves, more than in any other film we’ve done. We also had several of our students making bricks. We had over 800 bricks that we had to hand make. Every chance they had, they would make bricks. They carved them out of styrofoam, painted them and then glued them on the walls.”

COSTUMES/MAKEUP

Costumes and makeup play an important role in defining who is who. “Each of the five kids has a specific key color,” said Fred Pachter. But the core characters were not the only ones with his or her own color. Pachter had “Edward” in black, which he felt reflected his attitude, and he put “Henry” in brown, since it is an approachable color.

As far as the makeup, Terry Davenport said the children required very little makeup. “We had some special makeup on Dr. Panosian, who played the Indian, Henry…His was probably the most extensive. We had to have a braid that tucked into his hair to make it look like it was growing from his head. His hair is very curly, so we actually had to straighten his hair. We also darkened his skin and added a few age spots. Dr. Panosian has a universal face. He can play anything from an Arab to an Indian to a Spaniard.”